Waterstone TP12 12 string bass

Named after Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, who has been credited with inventing the 12 string bass. This impressive instrument was designed by Tom and the fine folks at Waterstone as an attractive,affordable, high quality 12 string instrument that would stand up to the demands of a touring artist like Tom Petersson…. Success on all counts.

The review model of the TP 12 is not the newest in the line of fine TP 12 string basses, which are a bit thinner and lighter, but the high points of the model are all on display. First of all- the sound- if you have never heard a 12 string bass in action, you need to (and what is wrong with you, don’t you own any Cheap Trick albums? but that is another post altogether…) It has a sound all its own- like a piano with balls…or a well, I don’t know- it sounds like a twelve string bass.

Featuring a semi-hollow body Mahogany body, two bass humbuckers, a maple/rosewood neck- this is a bass made to be seen and heard.

In a band with a single guitarist, but need that sound of a rhythm player? Don’t want to pay that extra man- it is well worth the money to buy one of these beauties to fill out all that sound on one instrument.

When I play it, I run it through both a bass amp and a guitar amp with a bit of gain and the sound is nothing short of huge. Single notes sound like three instruments playing at once… For a guitar player who fills in on bass (or a guy like me) who hangs around the root notes quite a bit, the 12er gives the flexibility to play some chords, yet still carry the backbone for which the bass is intended. My band, stratocruiser, has played gigs as a three piece with the assistance of this fine instrument.

We will run more reviews of this instrument, should they come in, however from this guitarist/part time bass player- the TP 12string bass from Waterstone gets the highest of praise.